Struggling Pierre Gasly needs time but his plight underlines Max Verstappen's real value to Red Bull

When Pierre Gasly was told of his promotion to Red Bull last summer he ran around his house shouting with delight. It was deserved. His fourth place in Bahrain, seventh in Monaco and sixth in Hungary the highlights of a promising debut year. But so far in 2019, this dream opportunity has been an enormous challenge.

There were a few signs of his unease at the wheel of the RB15 during winter testing. A crash in the first test was clearly not ideal but a bigger one, which left him shaken, came in the final test.

More concerning have been his performances so far in 2019. He has not been able to find the sweet spot – or anything close to it – with the new Red Bull. It has been suggested his more aggressive driving style does not suit the car’s strengths.

In qualifying the distance to Max Verstappen has been particularly stark.  Just once in three races has Gasly made it into the top 10 and every time there has been a significant gap to the Dutchman. Granted, he was hampered a strategy error in Melbourne but the pace has not been there.

In Bahrain he took to the team radio to complain about a problematic rear end, sounding a little emotional about his troubles. "I can't put the throttle down, I don't know why. It snaps everywhere," he said.  

Sundays have not really been any better for the Frenchman. In China there was improvement enough for him to finish sixth and score a bonus point for fastest lap. But he was still an age away from Verstappen – 41 seconds adrift before his final pit stop. Is his form giving Red Bull something to think about?

Dr Helmut Marko, who runs Red Bull's driver development program, is not a man afraid of making tough or even harsh decisions. Many talented men have been shunted out of the program after a season or two for junior team Toro Rosso. Jean-Eric Vergne, Sebastian Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari all impressed, only to be discarded.

But that is the nature of F1. And Toro Rosso is part of the Red Bull production line; a proving ground more than a training ground. Only a select few make it to a race seat with the big team. Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen are all successful examples. That Gasly has joined them stands in his favour.

The concern comes when looking at the case of the only other driver promoted to a Red Bull race seat: Daniil Kvyat. It was for him whom Marko’s sword swung hardest. Despite beating Ricciardo in his first season at Red Bull – a Ricciardo who comfortably beat Vettel the year before – Kvyat was replaced by Verstappen after four rounds of the 2016 season (he had only taken part in three of them)  and demoted back to Toro Rosso. Could Gasly be moved on before the season is out, like Kvyat?

The shortest answer is no.  The longer answer is not for a while. As bad as his start to 2019 has been, he will be given time. The middle of the year will be a more accurate marker. There seems to be underlying issues with his driving style and the RB15 which have not been solved but time is on Gasly's side and he has the tools to turn it around.

Although having one underperforming driver clearly is a problem, Red Bull can probably afford to have Gasly take his time to get up to speed. Whilst they would undoubtedly be in a better position with Ricciardo still in place, a finish any higher or lower than third in the constructors’ championship looks unlikely.

But if he is still lagging behind Verstappen by half-a-second in qualifying and struggling to challenge him on Sundays by, say, Silverstone, then he will be right to be worried for his future. Red Bull may start to seriously consider other options.

The good news for Gasly is that there aren’t that many of them. At least not in the Red Bull ranks. The talent pool has run surprisingly dry. Gasly was the only sensible candidate when Ricciardo announced his decision to move to Renault. Brendon Hartley signing for Toro Rosso – World Endurance Champion and fine driver though he is – in 2018 and Kvyat’s second return to Toro Rosso in 2019 are proof. Both were dropped from the driver program only to find themselves with unexpected race seats.

The man on Red Bull’s books who could replace him is Alexander Albon, who has quietly impressed in his first three F1 races.  But he would have to put in headline performances in the Toro Rosso most weekends to be considered for a swap with even a few races to go. It would be an extreme scenario. 

What this does underline is Max Verstappen’s brilliance and his importance to Red Bull. Since his horrid start to the 2018 season his form has been comparable to even Lewis Hamilton, who has been close to his peak. The Dutchman has regularly put his car where it has little right to be. This has continued in 2019: ahead of both Ferraris in the championship.  

The Red Bull/Honda partnership is still new and, hopefully, improving. The RB15 is not yet at its best. Verstappen’s current contract expires at the end of the 2020 season. Whether he signs another will depend on the competitiveness of the Milton Keynes team. Like Verstappen, Hamilton’s and Vettel’s contracts expire in 2020, just before the regulations overhaul comes into effect.  

Although he is not long into his 20s, his talent already demands a car that can challenge for titles. Not just the odd race win, as has been the case in the past three seasons. Whilst 2019 will be an important year for Pierre Gasly, it could be even more critical for Red Bull if they want to keep hold of their prized asset.